Q & A: Twins’ Blogger Andrew Kneeland of TwinsTarget.com

The Minnesota Twins have arguably the best sports community of bloggers and fans on the Internet today.

More and more Twins’ bloggers are emerging on the Internet with a wide range of information and insight about our favorite baseball club.  These various blogs offer unique perspectives and entertainment for virtually all Twins fans of all ages.

One of my discoveries is Andrew Kneeland of TwinsTarget.com.  Kneeland is a talented young blogger/writer with a great future in the mass communications industry.

So let’s get to know the mastermind behind TwinsTarget:

Nam Huynh: When and why did you start blogging about the Minnesota Twins?

Andrew Kneeland: I’ve always been a Twins fan, and have always had strong opinions and thoughts on the team. A few years ago I realized my love for writing, and have been blogging ever since.

NH: How did you come up with the name of your blog?

AK: With Target Field scheduled to open for the 2010 season, “Twins Target” seemed a natural choice for a blog title.

NH: You started the whole “Nick Punto Day” where Twins bloggers posted their own blog about Nick Punto.  What’s the story behind it and are you personally a Punto fan?

AK: Nick Punto is one of the most divisive players in baseball. Most either love him or hate him. It all comes down to how much you value defense, which brings the always heated traditional vs. sabermetric debate to the forefront. I thought it would be interesting to bring out as many opinions on Punto as possible on the same day and create some debate.

Personally, I have no ties to Punto. His offensive contributions are usually awful, but his relatively strong on-base percentage (fueled by his ability to take a walk) makes him a decent No. 9 hitter. His strong defense from anywhere in the infield further adds to his value. He is over-paid, but not the black hole of awfulness some seem to think he is.

NH: It is my understanding that you don’t just write about the Minnesota Twins.  What else do you do besides TwinsTarget?

AK: I also have a part-time job at a local circulation-11,000 newspaper, where I write a baseball column twice a week. Being in Arizona, this column is usually about the Arizona Diamondbacks, though I do cover the entire league.

NH: I’ve noticed a strong trend with Twins bloggers and fans on Twitter.  How often do you check Twitter on your phone or computer?

AK: Thanks to the wonders of Mac’s new “Spaces” feature, when I’m on my computer, TweetDeck is always open. Twitter is an invaluable resource to me, and I monitor it constantly.

NH: There are many different Twins blogs on the Internet right now and many of which are very unique from each other.  Which blogs would you recommend (besides TwinsTarget) and why?

AK: The Twins have one of the strongest blogging communities in all of sports. There are far too many to list here, but I’ll start with the TwinsCentric crew: John Bonnes (TwinsGeek.blogspot.com), Seth Stohs (sethspeaks.net), Parker Hageman (overthebaggy.blogspot.com), and Nick Nelson (nickstwinsblog.com). These four are among the most talented baseball bloggers available.

NH: Who is your all-time favorite Twin and why?

AK: I have to go with Kirby Puckett here. Puckett is a rallying symbol for Twins fans and was always full of energy and enthusiasm. There has never been a player quite like Kirby, and I suspect there never will be.

NH: What is one thing about you that your readers and followers wouldn’t know about you?

AK: Over the years, the one fact that I’ve found surprises most of my readers is that I am still in high school. I will celebrate my 18th birthday in a few months.

NH: Thanks for taking time with us and keep up the great work at TwinsTarget.com.

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